Abstract:
In response to the need for lateritic bauxite resource surveys, this study investigated the southeastern Gabú Region in Guinea-Bissau to explore the effectiveness of multi-source remote sensing technology in identifying and predicting deposits in tropical weathered areas. By integrating high-resolution optical images, multispectral and hyperspectral data, digital elevation model (DEM), and regional geological data, this study conducted lithological interpretation, geomorphological regionalization, and hyperspectral identification of minerals based on the key factors controlling lateritic bauxite formation. The results indicate that bauxitization occurs predominantly in high platforms, gentle slopes, and saddles, with diabases serving as primary parent rocks. The mineral assemblage consisting primarily of gibbsite, kaolinite, and hematite is extensively present in the weathered crust. The stable absorption characteristics of gibbsite in the near-infrared bands provide a direct indicator for hyperspectral identification. The DEM-derived terrain parameters and multispectral alteration information reflect the preservation, leaching, and enrichment conditions of minerals in the weathered crust. The multi-source data highlight distinct aspects of mineralization while also complementing each other. Their integration effectively reproduces lateritic bauxite's mineralization mechanisms, which involve material supply, geomorphic control, and mineral enrichment. The remote sensing interpretation results are highly consistent with field survey and thin-section observation results, underscoring the adaptability and explanatory power of the methodology used in this study for the identification and prediction of bauxite in tropical weathering environments. Overall, this study provides a novel technical approach and application paradigm for the remote sensing identification and resource potential evaluation of play fairways for lateritic bauxite mineralization.